Türkiye’s tourism revenue rises 4.2% in first quarter of 2026

Turkey

Visitor numbers grow moderately as spending patterns show strong gains in accommodation and services

Türkiye recorded a solid start to the tourism year, with revenue increasing to nearly 9.9 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2026. According to data released by Turkish Statistical Institute, the sector benefited from stable visitor flows and rising spending in key categories such as accommodation and hospitality.

Revenue driven by visitor spending

Tourism income reached 9.89 billion dollars between January and March, with the vast majority – 9.69 billion dollars – generated by visitors, while transit passengers contributed 201.9 million dollars.

Individual travel spending accounted for the largest share at 8.47 billion dollars, compared with 1.22 billion dollars from package tours. Turkish citizens living abroad played a significant role, contributing 25.6 percent of total visitor-related tourism income.

Moderate growth in visitor numbers

The number of departing visitors rose by 1.5 percent year-on-year to 9.26 million. Of these, 2.38 million were Turkish citizens residing abroad, representing 25.7 percent of total visitors.

Average nightly spending stood at 102 dollars per visitor, while Turkish citizens living abroad spent an average of 72 dollars per night.

Strong increases in key spending categories

Food and beverage expenditure made up the largest share of tourism income at 27 percent, followed by international transportation at 15.8 percent and accommodation at 13 percent.

Compared with the same period last year, accommodation spending rose sharply by 21.2 percent, while health-related expenditure increased by 18.4 percent and food and beverage spending grew by 13.7 percent. These figures point to a continued shift toward higher-value tourism services.

Travel motivations and outbound trends

Leisure travel remained the primary reason for visiting Türkiye, accounting for 55.3 percent of arrivals. Visiting friends and relatives followed at 26.8 percent, while shopping represented 8.2 percent.

At the same time, outbound travel by Turkish citizens increased significantly. The number of residents travelling abroad rose by 13.1 percent to 2.94 million in the first quarter, with an average expenditure of 758 dollars per person.

Overall, the figures indicate stable demand and a gradual strengthening of tourism revenues, supported by both international visitors and the Turkish diaspora.